Notorious Man Appointed to Lead Sofia Investigation

Investigator Petyo Petrov is known in his circles with the nickname Petyo The Euro. Photo by BGNES

Sofia City Prosecutor, Nikolay Kokinov, has chosen the scandalous Petyo Petrov AKA Petyo The Euro to head the Sofia Investigation Office.

Kokinov's motives to select Petrov among a number of other investigators remain unknown.

Petrov appeared as a witness for the prosecution in a number of emblematic cases, prompting many to question his role.

He was the key witness in the trial against the former Head of the Sofia Regional Prosecutor's Office, Slavcho Karzhev, and in the one against former Defense Minister, Nikolay Tsonev, former Chief Secretary of the Finance Ministry Tencho Popov, and Judge Petar Santirov.

In October 2012, the Sofia City Court cleared Tsonev, Popov, and Santirov, of bribery charges.

Tsonev, Santirov and Popov were charged with attempting to bribe investigator Petyo Petrov with EUR 20 000 to get a positive outcome of another investigation against Tsonev.

However, the examination of the recordings made with special surveillance devices stirred strong suspicions Petrov might have asked for the bribe himself.

On July 12, 2010, Petrov caused a car accident in the capital Sofia. The breathalyzer registered an alcohol level of more than 1.2 ppm, but the investigator's blood test reported only 0.2 ppm.

The Sofia Regional Prosecutor's Office refused to open a case, because under the law such probe is launched only if the blood test shows over 1.2 ppm.

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